He stressed that the acclaimed developer is a content company, not a hardware firm. "We use the technology we have to create content, and we try not to let ourselves get beholden to the hardware," he stated.

"The fact that hardware's so mature right now is exactly why we're able to go on to the next level. GTA 4 was our first attempt at a new platform and HD visuals, so the first part of development was seriously difficult. Now we know what the hardware's capable of, so it's become a lot easier to move things along and a lot more fun, too."

Houser added that GTA: San Andreas came out at the peak of the PlayStation 2's cycle, which he believes allowed Rockstar to launch a "really good game". He continued on to state that all of the best games for a given console launches at the end of its lifecycle. "So now's the best timing of all."

Grand Theft Auto 4, which released back in 2008, has sold over 20 million units to date. Releasing such a hotly-anticipated title like GTA 5 at the end of the current console generation life cycle won't do it any harm and, due to that, it certainly has a good chance to exceed its predecessor's commercial performance; analysts tip the game to eventually sell over 25 million units.

Saints row and gta aren't really comparable.. The GTA experience is untouched by any saints row game. GTA has a more mature artistic feel to it and even the satire can be deep. Saints row is like a big mac, coca cola.. GTA is Fine wine, Fine dining. I cant play saints row game it just doesent seem to have the same class. Cant wait for spring, it's a cold winter away

You're right in saying you can't compare them as they are, in essence, two completely different games. I think Saints Row unfairly gets likened to GTA too often. It does have a few similarities, but it really just wants to be it's own, fun game rather than being GTA's little brother. I do prefer the "classic" style of GTA but I also loved the completely over the top antics of Saints Row too.

You're right in saying you can't compare them as they are, in essence, two completely different games.

Actually, in essence, they're not. FIFA and GTA are completely different games. That's why people don't compare FIFA, and people do compare GTA and Saints Row.They're not as similar as something like Fallout 3 and Fallout NV, or Halo and Killzone, but they're in the same genre and not completely different.

I see what you're getting at, they're taking different approaches at the same basic concept. But not completely different games.

You're right in saying you can't compare them as they are, in essence, two completely different games.

Actually, in essence, they're not. FIFA and GTA are completely different games. That's why people don't compare FIFA, and people do compare GTA and Saints Row.They're not as similar as something like Fallout 3 and Fallout NV, or Halo and Killzone, but they're in the same genre and not completely different.

I see what you're getting at, they're taking different approaches at the same basic concept. But not completely different games.

Yeah, I guess I worded it wrong. I did mean that the direction that each game was trying to go was completely different. GTA has that serious outlook about it whilst SR was just full on over the top excitement.

i hope we get the "Fun" stuff in V, it lacked in 4 to the point that i just went over to saints row after i got to the end of gta 4 in about a week,and there was nothing left to do

I hear you! As far as I'm concerned, Saint's Row, specifically SR: The Third, is the new GTA. I know GTA IV was a popular game, but I found it absolutely boring and lackluster in terms of raw gameplay. For my taste, GTA IV is what happens when a game takes itself too seriously. Everyone who is looking for an "excuse" because they didn't like IV keeps talking about how, in essence, "Rocktar couldn't make GTA IV fun because it was the first game on the new platform!" but I don't buy it.

I don't think that IV was half-a-loaf and Rockstar was limited by a new engine on a new set of consoles. I believe that even though I absolutely HATED IV that Rockstar made the game precisely the way that they wanted to make it. For whatever reason, Houser and company equated "realism" with fun in IV. I personally think that if Rockstar had wanted to take the San Andreas concept to the next level and do so on the brand new game engine with all the awesome graphics that GTA IV had for its time, they could have easily done it. But Houser said many times that in his mind gamers wanted a game that plays like a movie, and they wanted "consequences" for the gamer's actions as well as gameplay that was "believable" for the character, which translates to "realism."

I roll my eyes a little whenever I hear or read people talking about how GTA IV was "no fun" (to some of us, anyway) because Rockstar couldn't do all the cool stuff with a new engine, and I think that's laughable. I believe Rockstar is capable of making GTA pretty much whatever the hell they envision it to be regardless of how new the game engine is.

I will say that I am pretty impressed so far with what I have seen, read, and watched about V.

I hear you! As far as I'm concerned, Saint's Row, specifically SR: The Third, is the new GTA. I know GTA IV was a popular game, but I found it absolutely boring and lackluster in terms of raw gameplay. For my taste, GTA IV is what happens when a game takes itself too seriously. Everyone who is looking for an "excuse" because they didn't like IV keeps talking about how, in essence, "Rocktar couldn't make GTA IV fun because it was the first game on the new platform!" but I don't buy it.

I definately share your opinion on GTAIV. I too dislike how some people think GTAIV was ruinning at capacity. They couldnt have added a jet no? Rubbish. They could have added plenty of things to make it fun.

But i stop short at supporting Saints Row personally. Its a GTA ripoff and thats all it will ever be. SR games can be fun but i played through SR2 and SR3 once each and wont be going back. They just dont hold my attention very long. And everything is a little crummy. The driving sucks, the flying was slow and uneventful... They can be fun but are far too short lived for me.

The truth is nothing has felt like a GTA game since San Andreas for me. But GTAV looks like it may change that. It looks like they really are sorting out all of the things which made GTAIV so boring and short lived.